Written Answers Tuesday 16 June 2009

Scottish Executive

Burial and Cremation

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to consult on the findings of the Burials and Cremations Review Group.

Shona Robison: We are currently working up a consultation document based on the findings of the Burials and Cremations Review Group.

Burial and Cremation

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to bring forward legislation to amend the law on burials and cremations.

Shona Robison: Any legislation to amend the law on burials and cremations would be dependant on the outcome of the consultation on the Burial and Cremation Review Group’s findings. It would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the future public consultation at this time.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional places in refuges for women have been introduced since April 2008, broken down by local authority.

Alex Neil: The information requested is not held centrally. Scottish Women’s Aid can provide information on the number of refuge spaces provided by affiliated women’s aid groups over the period requested.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantities of drugs have been recovered in the Lothians and Borders police force area in each year since 1999, broken down by type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: Data on drug seizures for the years 1999 to 2006-07 are given in the following publications list, copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe). The following table provides details of quantities of drug seizures by type of drug.

  

 Year of Seizures
 Publication
 Tables
SPICe Bib.Number


 1999
 Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2001
 104
 20860


 2000
 Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2002
 E2.2
 27706


 2001
 Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2003
 E2.2
 32141


 2002
 Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2004
 E2.2
 36121


 2003
 Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2005
 D2.2
 38474


 2004-05 and 2005-06
 Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, 2004-05 and 2005-06
 15,16,17,18,19,20
 42386


 2005-06 and 2006-07
 Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, 2005-06 and 2006-07
 15,16,17,18,19,20
 45847



  Note:

  Figures for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are due to be published in October 2009.

Early Years

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21713 by Adam Ingram on 19 March 2009, when it expects to make an announcement on the possible venture philanthropy fund to support play.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is continuing to work with Inspiring Scotland and is evaluating the research conducted by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) to see where funding would be best placed to support the play sector and children and young people. I expect to make an announcement on this in the near future.

Housing

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) its target for the number of housing units approvals and (b) the actual number of units approved by it where the grant offer was accepted was in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by local authority area.

Alex Neil: The following table details the planned and actual unit approvals split by local authority over the past three years.

  Planned and Actual Unit Approvals

  

 
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Planned
 Out-turn
 Planned
 Out-turn
 Planned
 Out-turn


 Highland
 560
 552
 501
 536
 352
 427


 Orkney
 134
 120
 91
 94
 83
 49


 Shetland
 58
 94
 47
 45
 30
 50


 Western Isles
 94
 80
 62
 35
 38
 12


 Aberdeenshire
 368
 24
 637
 692
 69
 58


 City of Aberdeen
 368
 9
 595
 671
 0
 1


 Moray
 111
 90
 250
 250
 146
 11


 Angus
 113
 105
 86
 86
 37
 69


 City of Dundee
 212
 170
 212
 52
 196
 168


 Perth and Kinross
 171
 118
 188
 114
 159
 154


 Clackmannanshire
 36
 57
 50
 71
 55
 12


 Falkirk
 51
 56
 105
 115
 48
 48


 Stirling
 223
 260
 62
 15
 75
 79


 East Lothian
 60
 36
 60
 69
 43
 80


 Fife
 233
 267
 233
 302
 200
 283


 Midlothian
 45
 62
 45
 39
 46
 48


 The Scottish Borders
 89
 96
 89
 76
 82
 90


 West Lothian
 198
 196
 198
 100
 88
 98


 City of Edinburgh
 596
 596
 600
 625
 600
 600


 Dumfries and Galloway
 132
 149
 195
 187
 115
 430


 East Ayrshire
 100
 202
 100
 104
 51
 92


 North Ayrshire
 90
 118
 90
 68
 81
 88


 North Lanarkshire
 269
 279
 260
 233
 100
 133


 South Ayrshire
 68
 12
 192
 180
 52
 71


 South Lanarkshire
 420
 179
 260
 334
 175
 174


 Argyll and Bute
 162
 217
 180
 183
 128
 130


 West Dunbartonshire
 149
 117
 97
 38
 200
 122


 East Dunbartonshire
 73
 68
 80
 1
 70
 46


 Inverclyde
 317
 159
 98
 101
 150
 222


 Renfrewshire
 235
 388
 105
 219
 26
 12


 East Renfrewshire
 198
 148
 98
 58
 45
 53


 Glasgow
 1,017
 1,340
 1,500
 1,500
 1,450
 1,456


 Glasgow Housing Association
 
 69
 
 239
 410
 442


 Other Programmes
 
 
 
 -10
 
 


 LIFT: Shared Equity Open Market Pilot
 150
 675
 634
 434
 520
 465


 Mortgage to Rent
 
 
 
 161
 150
 233


 Total
 7,100
 7,108
 8,000
 8,017
 6,070
 6,506



  It should be noted that 1,563 approvals covered by the four-year Devanha programme agreement in Grampian are shown in 2007-08 in the table; however official stats published differ as they spread the approvals over a four-year period:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that almost 25% of the 6,221 houses built under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2008-09 were built for sale.

Alex Neil: The Affordable Housing Investment Programme in 2008-09 delivered 6,506 new and improved home approvals and 6,260 new and improved home completions. Of the approvals 23% were for low-cost home ownership and of the completions 24% were for low-cost home ownership.

  The approvals and completions exclude projects covered by the four-year Devanha programme in Grampian and other minor anomalies. These approvals figures differ to the published statistics for this reason http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS.

Immigration

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ramifications for cultural activity in Scotland are of the requirement for a certificate of sponsorship under the UK Government’s points-based immigration system.

Michael Russell: Our world renowned cultural festivals and events are vital to attracting tourists and artists, and contributing to our economy. It is vital that those who are coming here to contribute are welcomed, not shunned.

  The UK immigration system should meet the needs of the whole of the UK and we are pressing the Home Office to ensure that the distinct needs of Scotland are taken into account.

Immigration

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it can do to encourage non-EU artists to visit and perform in Scotland.

Michael Russell: The UK immigration system should meet the needs of the whole of the UK and we are pressing the Home Office to ensure that the distinct needs of Scotland are taken into account. We are also working with colleagues at the UK Border Agency to ensure more is done to inform Scottish-based organisers and promoters about immigration systems and regulations, and to provide support and advice where possible.

  Our Relocation Advisory Service (RAS) aims to assist and advise those who wish to live and work in Scotland, including those from the cultural sector. They seek to create a seamless service that streamlines UK, Scotland and local public services to make things easier for people to move to this country to live and work. The welcoming package includes information on living and working in Scotland, cultural networks, information on diversity and equality issues, where to seek employment, accommodation and healthcare and provides information on immigration issues such as work permits and visas. People are able to contact RAS via the website at www.scotlandistheplace.com, by telephone or, if they are in Glasgow, through a face-to-face meeting.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what disposals have been applied to people convicted of carrying a knife or other bladed weapon in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons in the Lothians region with a charge proved for carrying knives or offensive weapons1 2, by local authority area3, 2003-04 to 2007-08.

  

 Local Authority/Offence/Disposal
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 East Lothian
 16
 16
 12
 24
 26


 Having in a public place an article with a blade or point 
 9
 10
 6
 15
 15


 Custody 
 4
 4
 2
 3
 4


 Community sentence
 3
 1
 2
 6
 4


 Monetary 
 2
 5
 1
 4
 7


 Other 
 -
 -
 1
 2
 -


 Possession of an offensive weapon
 7
 5
 6
 9
 11


 Custody 
 1
 2
 2
 1
 3


 Community sentence
 6
 3
 3
 4
 1


 Monetary 
 -
 -
 1
 3
 4


 Other 
 -
 -
 -
 1
 3


 Restriction of offensive weapons 
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Monetary 
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Edinburgh, City of
 210
 240
 232
 277
 241


 Having in a public place an article with a blade or point 
 131
 140
 133
 177
 143


 Custody 
 41
 41
 45
 63
 39


 Community sentence
 23
 27
 34
 50
 34


 Monetary 
 56
 61
 43
 50
 57


 Other 
 11
 11
 11
 14
 13


 Possession of an offensive weapon 
 79
 100
 99
 100
 98


 Custody 
 15
 16
 22
 17
 15


 Community sentence
 17
 33
 27
 29
 18


 Monetary 
 35
 36
 40
 48
 49


 Other 
 12
 15
 10
 6
 16


 West Lothian
 35
 40
 29
 69
 52


 Having in a public place an article with a blade or point 
 12
 22
 13
 36
 30


 Custody 
 2
 8
 2
 4
 15


 Community sentence
 1
 4
 5
 12
 6


 Monetary 
 7
 7
 6
 16
 6


 Other 
 2
 3
 -
 4
 3


 Possession of an offensive weapon 
 23
 18
 16
 33
 22


 Custody 
 2
 3
 -
 4
 3


 Community sentence
 8
 3
 6
 15
 6


 Monetary 
 9
 8
 9
 13
 11


 Other 
 4
 4
 1
 1
 2


 Lothians
 261
 296
 273
 370
 319


 Having in a public place an article with a blade or point 
 152
 172
 152
 228
 188


 Custody 
 47
 53
 49
 70
 58


 Community sentence
 27
 32
 41
 68
 44


 Monetary 
 65
 73
 50
 70
 70


 Other 
 13
 14
 12
 20
 16


 Possession of an offensive weapon 
 109
 123
 121
 142
 131


 Custody 
 18
 21
 24
 22
 21


 Community sentence
 31
 39
 36
 48
 25


 Monetary 
 44
 44
 50
 64
 64


 Other 
 16
 19
 11
 8
 21


 Restriction of offensive weapons 
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Monetary 
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Handling an offensive weapon covers the crime categories possession of an offensive weapon, restriction of an offensive weapon and having in a public place an article with a blade or point.

  3. Based upon an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Midlothian does not contain a sheriff court.

Local Government Finance

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what stage has been reached in its discussions with COSLA regarding revisions to the local government funding formula and when it expects the conclusions to be announced.

John Swinney: The joint review of the local government finance distribution methodology is now well underway. The review group has been asked to make recommendations by the end of October 2009. Any agreed conclusions are likely to be announced shortly after that in order to inform the allocation of funding to local government from 2011-12.

Rural Development

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Home Office regarding visas for non-European Economic Area crew members currently crewing Scottish boats.

Richard Lochhead: I have written to Phil Woolas, the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration, twice this year requesting a meeting to discuss the UK Border Agency’s enforcement of existing immigration laws in respect of non-EEA crew members currently crewing Scottish vessels. The Scottish Government will do everything in our power to ensure that any action taken is managed in such a way that it does not jeopardise the operation of our fleets.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Futures Trust’s annual report will be published.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23792 on 26 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust’s business plan will be published before the end of 2009 and on what date.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23730 by John Swinney on 26 May 2009, when the initial activities of the Scottish Futures Trust will be made public.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust’s business plan for 2009-10, setting out its business objectives, activities and priorities for the current year, was published on 5 June 2009. Copies of the plan can be obtained from the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 48319).

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Futures Trust’s website will be operational.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust have stated in their recently published business plan that their website will be operational by the end of June 2009. Copies of the business plan can be obtained through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48319).

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23730 by John Swinney on 26 May 2009, how it defines the short to medium term in relation to the Scottish Futures Trust’s role as a direct funder of projects.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23730 by John Swinney on 26 May 2009, what timescale it considers to be in due course in relation to the Scottish Futures Trust’s development of proposals setting out how investment might be channelled for Scottish infrastructure priorities and when these proposals will be available.

John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) will approve release of funding for projects as part of the school building programme in 2011. SFT is currently managing the Scottish Government funding for the hub initiative and is also working on projects where funding is provided by other public bodies.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Futures Trust offers a fundamentally different vision of the future of public services from that provided by previous administrations.

John Swinney: Yes – it will mean a more responsible and effective delivery of public infrastructure which contrasts significantly with many of the projects undertaken previously through Private Finance Initiatives.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence there is to show that the Scottish Futures Trust is providing "more bang for the people’s bucks" as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth stated it would in a Scottish Government news release of 20 May 2008.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been saved by the Scottish Futures Trust since its formation.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it estimates that the Scottish Futures Trust will save in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

John Swinney: We have set the Scottish Futures Trust the clear target of achieving annual savings of between £100 million and £150 million on infrastructure investment once fully established and the work being undertaken, as set out in the published business plan which is available from the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 48319), makes clear the ways this will be achieved.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards each of the Scottish Futures Trust’s objectives as outlined in the Scottish Government news release of 20 May 2008.

John Swinney: As stated in the Scottish Futures Trust’s (SFT) published business plan for 2009-10, which can be obtained through the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 48319), SFT are addressing specific projects in or approaching procurement with a combined capital value of over £2.7 billion.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether appointments of Scottish Futures Trust staff will be made under the Scottish Government’s pay policy.

John Swinney: It is very important that the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has the scope and flexibility to recruit and retain staff with specific experience and skills which are not generally available in the public sector. I have therefore decided that SFT should not be subject to the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy. Pay arrangements will of course be affordable, and overseen by SFT’s remuneration committee.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the staff complement is in each of its directorates and agencies and how these figures compare with those at May 2007.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold information on staffing complements.

  The following tables provide information on the staff in post as at 31 May 2007 compared to 28 February 2009. The Scottish Government only holds this information for those agencies to which we provide a Human Resources (HR) function. Registers of Scotland, Scottish Prisons Service, Historic Scotland, Scottish Courts Service and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have their own HR function and hold their own HR data and therefore have not been included in the tables.

  Table 1: As at 31 May 2007

  

 Organisation
 Department
 Total


Scottish Executive (SE) Core
 Legal and Parliamentary Services
 187


 Office of the Permanent Secretary
 901


 Development Department
 269


 Education Department
 337


 Environment and Rural Affairs Department
 971


 Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department
 449


 Finance and Corporate Services
 496


 Health Department
 373


 Justice Department
 316


 Paid Centrally Managed Staff
 90


 SE Core Total at 31 May 2007
 4,398


Agencies/ Other Bodies
 Accountant in Bankruptcy
 119


 Communities Scotland
 436


 Fisheries Research Services
 313


 General Register Office for Scotland
 262


 HMI Constabulary 
 6


 HMI Prisons 
 3


 HMI Education
 200


 Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
 71


 National Archives of Scotland
 147


 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
 36


 Student Awards Agency for Scotland
 151


 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency
 149


 Scottish Building Standards Agency
 34


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
 316


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
 227


 Social Work Inspection Agency
 49


 Transport Scotland
 250


 Agencies Total at 31 May 2007
 2,769


 Grand Total
 7,167



  Table 2: As at 28 February 2009

  

 Organisation
 Directorate General
 Total


Scottish Government (SG) Core
 Directorate General - Economy
 530


 Directorate General - Education
 801


 Directorate General - Environment
 1,115


 Directorate General - Finance and Corporate Services
 1,036


 Directorate General - Health
 433


 Directorate General - Justice
 855


 Permanent Secretary
 152


 Paid Centrally Managed Staff
 26


 SG Core Total at 28 February 2009
 4,948


 Adjusted SG Core Total at 28 February 2009
 4,795*


Agencies/ Other Bodies
 Accountant in Bankruptcy
 119


 Fisheries Research Services
 317


 General Register Office for Scotland
 311


 HMI Constabulary 
 5


 HMI Prisons 
 3


 HMI Education
 206


 Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
 94


 National Archives of Scotland
 153


 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
 48


 Student Awards Agency for Scotland
 144


 Scottish Housing Regulator 
 66


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
 293


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
 255


 Social Work Inspection Agency
 46


 Transport Scotland
 297


 Agencies Total at 28 February 2009
 2,357


 Grand Total
 7,305


 Grand Total adjusted for staff transferred into SG 
 7,152*



  Notes:

  *The grand total figure has been adjusted to exclude those Disclosure Scotland staff who were previously outwith the SG core (and so were not included in the May 2007 figures) and have been transferred into Directorate General (DG) Education in February 2009.

  1. Scottish Housing Regulator is the regulatory body formed on 1 April 2008 after the dissolution of Communities Scotland. Sixty five staff from the former Communities Scotland transferred to Scottish Housing Regulator on 1 April 2008, the remaining staff from Communities Scotland were absorbed into the SG core.

  2. Between the dates of 31 May 2007 and 28 February 2009 staff from Communities Scotland, Scottish Building Standards Agency, Scottish Agricultural Science Agency and Disclosure Scotland have been absorbed into the core Scottish Government DGs.

  3. Three hundred and sixty five staff from Communities Scotland were absorbed into the core Scottish Government DGs and it’s agencies on 1 April 2008.

  4. Thirty three staff from Scottish Building Standards Agency transferred to DG Economy on 1 April 2008.

  5. One hundred and forty five staff from Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) transferred to DG Environment on 2 July 2008.

  6. One hundred and thirty seven staff from Disclosure Scotland transferred from Strathclyde Police into DG Education on TUPE Transfer terms on 15 October 2007. There are currently 153 members of staff from Disclosure Scotland included within DG Education as at 28 February 2009.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its expenditure on advertising has been, including for recruitment, for each of its agencies and directorates in the last two years for which information is available.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the Scottish Government website, which details the advertising spend for all advertising campaigns, by department, in the financial years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Services-Groups/17963/advertising-marketing/spend.

  The advertising spend for the financial year 2008-09 has yet to be reconciled but will be available on the aforementioned website by the end of July 2009.

  The following table shows spend with our recruitment advertising supplier, TMP, on recruitment advertising media for civil service and public appointment recruitment. Agencies may have used other recruitment advertising suppliers but that spend is not available centrally.

  Due to the way the information is collected it is not possible to split the information by directorate for both years or by director general for 2007-08.

  In 2007-08 recruitment advertising orders for some agencies were placed through the Scottish Government (SG) core and therefore the spend is included in the core figure.

  Recruitment Advertising Spend (£)

  

 SG Core (Grouped by Director General)
 2007-08
 2008-09


 Economy
 n/a
 76,986


 Education
 n/a
 88,545


 Environment
 n/a
 86,813


 Health
 n/a
 153,015


 Justice and Communities
 n/a
 131,233


 Finance and Corporate Service
 n/a
 130,877


 Permanent Secretary
 n/a
 34,793


 Central and other spend
 n/a
 112,624


 Total for SG Core
 1,114,508
 814,886


 SG Main Agencies
 
 


 Scottish Public Pensions Agency
 1,243
 28,751


 Student Awards Agency for Scotland
 3,050
 9,803


 Fisheries Research Services
 n/a
 3,541


 HM Inspectorate of Education
 n/a
 13,418


 Accountant in Bankruptcy
 n/a
 2,882


 Social Work Inspection Agency
 n/a
 0


 Transport Scotland
 57,097
 227,622


 Scottish Housing Regulator
 n/a
 40,051


 Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland 
 10,921
 2,467


 Communities Scotland
 14,962
 n/a


 Total for SG Agencies
 87,273
 328,535


 Grand Total
 1,201,781
 1,143,421